Even a statewide deer-donation program is feeling pressure from a wounded economy.

Hunters Sharing the Harvest, a nonprofit that helps hunters donate venison to the hungry, is struggling to keep up with increasing demand at food banks, according to executive director John Plowman.

Last year hunters donated a record of more than 100,000 pounds of venison, which provided more than 200,000 meals for food banks, but the combination of economic woes and high food costs is creating even more need this year.

“The big problem is need,” Plowman said.

The news isn’t all bad. Though it’s too soon to know how much meat hunters will donate this year, Plowman said he’s made random calls to processors across the state who said donations remain strong.

“The hunters are aware of the fact that people need help,” Plowman said.

Officials say more than 1.3 million Pennsylvanians live at risk of going hungry, and nearly a half-million people a month meet part of their food needs at a pantry or soup kitchen.

Established in 1991, Hunters Sharing the Harvest has a network that allows hunters to take their deer to a participating processor and donate all or part of their venison to the program. The meat typically goes to one of 21 regional food banks that distribute it to thousands of pantries and soup kitchens.

Food banks are especially happy to have the meat because it’s a rare source of high-protein food for some of the state’s nutritionally deprived citizens.

The Central Pennsylvania Food Bank, which covers York and Adams counties and 25 other counties, has seen demand for food increase an average of 15 percent to 35 percent this year, executive director Kendall Hanna said.

He said more people are coming to food pantries now because of economic troubles, high food prices and the start of the heating season, which means an added bill for people.

Yet at the same time, corporate donations of food are down, which means the venison donations are especially important, Hanna said.

“It’s almost like a perfect storm,” Hanna said.

Officials in the state Game Commission and Agriculture Department help promote the deer-donation program, and visited a processor in Mechanicsburg last month to draw attention to the growing need this year. They also urge processors to participate.

With monetary donations, the program pays for processing costs when an entire deer is donated, but Plowman said more processors are needed. The state currently has about 90 processors participating in the program.

LOCAL PARTICIPATING DEER PROCESSORS

Butcher Block Meat & Seafood, 3055 Biglerville Road, Biglerville

Breeze View Deer Processing, 1040 Valleyview Road, York

Co’s Meats & Deer Processing, 426 Valley Road, Etters

Gary’s Meat Locker, 236 Poplar St., Hanover

Windsor Meat Market, 73 W. First Ave., Windsor

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Visit the Hunters Sharing the Harvest Web site at www.sharedeer.org